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Russian

Introductory Course
Natasha Bershadski

Learn another language the way you learnt your own

Succeed with the

and learn another language the way you learnt your own Developed over 50 years, the amazing teaching methods of the worlds greatest language teacher completely takes the strain out of language learning. Michel Thomas all-audio courses provide an accelerated method for learning that is truly revolutionary.

To find out more, please get in touch with us For general enquiries and for information about the Michel Thomas Method: Call: 020 7873 6354 Fax: 020 7873 6325 Email: mtenquiries@hodder.co.uk To place an order: Call: 01235 400414 Fax: 01235 400454 Email: uk.orders@bookpoint.co.uk www.michelthomas.co.uk You can write to us at: Hodder Arnold, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH Visit our forum at: www.michelthomas.co.uk

Unauthorized copying of this booklet or the accompanying audio material is prohibited, and may amount to a criminal offence punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. Copyright 2007, in the methodology, Thomas Keymaster Languages LLC, all rights reserved; in the content, Natasha Bershadski. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited, Saffron House, 610 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS, UK. Typeset by Transet Limited, Coventry, England. Printed in Great Britain for Hodder Arnold, a division of Hodder Headline, an Hachette Livre company, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH. Impression 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Year 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 ISBN 978 0340 94842 2

Introduction
What is the Michel Thomas Method?
The Michel Thomas Method* all-audio courses, published by Hodder Arnold, provide an accelerated method for language learning that is truly revolutionary. And they promise a remarkable educational experience that will make your learning both exciting and pleasurable.

How does the Method work?


The Method works by breaking a language down into its component parts, enabling learners to reconstruct the language themselves to form their own sentences, to say what they want, when they want. Because you learn the language in small steps, you can build it up yourself to produce ever more complicated sentences. No books No writing Just confidence in hours

The Michel Thomas Method is in tune with the way your brain works, so you assimilate the language easily and dont forget it! The Method teaches you through your own language, so theres no stress, and no anxiety. The teacher builds up the new language, step by step, and you dont move on till youve absorbed and understood the previous point. As Michel Thomas said, What you understand, you know, and what you know, you dont forget. With parallels to the way you learnt your own language, each language is learnt in real-time conditions. There is no need to stop for homework, additional exercises or vocabulary memorization.
*US patent 6,565,358

Learning Spanish with Michel was the most extraordinary learning experience of my life it was unforgettable.
Emma Thompson

Michel Thomas is a precious find indeed.


The Guardian The classroom situation on the recording lets you learn with others. You enjoy their success, and you learn from their mistakes. The students on the recordings are not reading from scripts and they have received no additional instruction or preparation just the guidance you hear on the recording. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. A very important part of the Michel Thomas Method is that full responsibility for your learning lies with the teacher, not with you, the pupil. This helps to ensure that you can relax, and feel confident, so allowing you to learn effectively. You will enjoy the Method as it creates real excitement you cant wait to use the language.

Theres no such thing as a poor student, only a poor teacher.


Michel Thomas

What level of language will I achieve?


The Introductory and Foundation courses are designed for complete beginners. They make no assumption of a knowledge of any language other than English. They will give the beginner a practical and functional use of the

HOW ARE THE RECORDINGS BEST USED?


Relax! Make yourself comfortable before playing the recording and try to let go of the tensions and anxieties traditionally associated with learning. Do not write or take any notes. Remove notebooks, pens, dictionaries and anything else associated with learning at school. Do not try to remember. While participating in the recording and afterwards, it is important that you do not try to memorize specific words or expressions. It is a basic principle of the Michel Thomas Method that the responsibility for the students learning lies with the teacher. With the Michel Thomas Method as your teacher, your learning will be based on understanding, and what you understand you dont forget. Interact fully with the recordings. Use the pause button and respond out loud (or in a whisper, or in your head, if you are in a public place) before the students responses. This is essential. You do not learn by repetition but by thinking out the answers to each question; it is by your own thought process that you truly learn. Give yourself time to think. The students on the recordings had all the time they needed to think out their responses. On the recordings their thinking time has been cut in order to make full use of the recording time. You can take all the time you need (by using your pause button). The pause button is the key to your learning! To get you used to pausing the recording before the students responses, bleeps have been added to the first few tracks. When you hear the bleep, pause the recording, think out and say your response, then release the pause button to hear the students, then the teachers, response. Start at the beginning of the course. Whatever your existing knowledge of the language you are learning, it is important that you follow the way that the teacher builds up your knowledge of the language. Do not get annoyed with yourself if you make a mistake. Mistakes are part of the learning process; as long as you understand why you made the mistake and you have the ahaa reaction yes, of course, I understand now you are doing fine. If you made a mistake and you do not understand why, you may have been daydreaming for a few seconds. The course is structured so that you cannot go on unless you fully understand everything, so just go back a little and you will pick up where you left off. Stop the recording whenever it suits you. You will notice that this course is not divided into lessons; you will always be able to pick up from where you left off, without the need to review.

spoken language. They are also appropriate for anyone who has studied a language before, but has forgotten much of it or does not have confidence in speaking. The Introductory course comprises the first two hours of the Foundation Course. The Advanced course follows on from the Foundation course and expands on structures touched on in the earlier course to improve your understanding and mastery of complex language. The Michel Thomas Method teaches the everyday conversational language that will allow you to communicate in a wide variety of situations, empowered by the ability to create your own sentences and use the language naturally. You will absorb the vocabulary and grammatical structures and, in addition, will be introduced to elements of writing and reading.

How quickly can I learn with the Michel Thomas Method?


One of the most remarkable features of the Michel Thomas Method is the speed with which results are achieved. A knowledge of the language that will take months of conventional study can be achieved in a matter of hours with the Michel Thomas Method. The teacher masterfully guides the student through an instructional process at a very rapid rate yet the process will appear informal, relaxed and unhurried. The teacher moves quickly between numerous practice sessions, which all build the learners confidence in their ability to communicate in complex ways. Because the Michel Thomas Method is based on understanding, not memorization, there is no set limit to the length of time that you should study the course. It offers immersion without strain or stress, and you will find the recordings are not divided into lessons, though the material has been indexed for your convenience (pages 1016). This means that you can stop and start as you please. The excitement of learning will motivate you to continue listening and learning for as long a time as is practical for you. This will enable you to make progress faster than you ever imagined possible.

Who is the Michel Thomas Method for?


Anyone can learn a language with the Michel Thomas Method and the wide diversity of Michel Thomass own students proves this. Not only did Michel instruct the rich and famous, but he also taught many so-called hopeless cases. For example, in 1997, Michel taught French to a group of sixteen-year-olds in north London who had been told they could never learn a language, and gave them the ability to use the new language far beyond their expectations in just a week. Perhaps more importantly, he gave them the confidence to speak and a belief in, and the experience of, their own ability to learn. Whatever your motivation for learning a language, the Michel Thomas Method quite simply offers the most effective method that is available.

What can I do next?


Try to speak with native speakers whenever possible, as this is invaluable for improving your fluency. Magazines, newspapers and podcasts (especially those which feature interviews) will give you practice in the most current and idiomatic language. Expose yourself to the language whenever you can you will have firm foundations on which to build. Continue your study with the Foundation and Advanced courses. Then build your vocabulary with the existing and planned Vocabulary courses, which carry forward the Michel Thomas Method teaching tradition and faithfully follow Michel Thomass unique approach to foreign language learning. The series editor is Dr Rose Lee Hayden, Michels most experienced and trusted teacher. The courses remain faithful to the method Michel Thomas used in his earlier courses, with the all-audio and building-block approach. The presenter builds on Michels foundations to encourage the student at home to build up their vocabulary in the foreign language, using relationships with English, where appropriate, or connections within the foreign language itself. The student takes part in the audio, following prompts by the presenter, as in Michel Thomas original Foundation and Advanced courses. The teaching is all in English, while native speakers give models for perfect pronunciation and increase the opportunity for practice.

Who was Michel Thomas?


Michel Thomas (19142005) spent most of his childhood in Germany and France. He studied psychology at the Sorbonne (Paris) and at the University of Vienna. During the Second World War he fought for the French Resistance; after the war he worked for the U.S. army. His war-time experiences, including two years in concentration and labour camps and torture at the hands of the Gestapo, fuelled his passion for teaching languages, as a result of which he Michel with Grace Kelly developed a uniquely effective languageteaching method that brought to his door celebrities (including Barbra Streisand and Emma Thompson), diplomats, academics and business executives from around the world. He established the first Michel Thomas Language Center in Beverly Hills in 1947, and continued to travel the world teaching languages for the rest of his life.

Whom did Michel Thomas teach?


People came from all over the world to learn a foreign language with Michel Thomas because his method works. His students, numbering in the thousands, included well-known people from the arts and from the corporate, political and academic worlds. For example, he taught French to filmstar Grace Kelly prior to her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. Michels list of clients included: Celebrities: Emma Thompson, Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand, Warren Beatty, Melanie Griffith, Eddie Izzard, Bob Dylan, Jean Marsh, Donald Sutherland, Mrs George Harrison, Anne Bancroft, Mel Brooks, Nastassja Kinski, Carl Reiner, Raquel Welch, Johnny Carson, Julie Andrews, Isabelle Adjani, Candice Bergen, Barbara Hershey, Priscilla Presley, Loretta Swit, Tony Curtis, Diana Ross, Herb Alpert, Angie Dickinson, Lucille Ball, Doris Day, Janet Leigh, Natalie Wood, Jayne Mansfield, Ann-Margaret, Yves Montand,

Kim Novak, Otto Preminger, Max von Sydow, Peter Sellers, Franois Truffaut, Sophia Coppola. Diplomats, dignitaries and academics: Former U.S. Ambassador to France, Walter Curley; U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Joseph V. Reed; Cardinal John OConnor, Archbishop of New York; Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia; Armand Hammer; Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; Professor Herbert Morris, Dean of Humanities at UCLA; Warren Keegan, Professor of Business at Pace University in New York; Professor Wesley Posvar, former President of the University of Pittsburgh. Executives from the following corporations: AT&T International, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Chase Manhattan Bank, American Express, Merrill Lynch, New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Boeing Aircraft, General Electric, Westinghouse Electric, Bank of America, Max Factor, Rand Corporation, Bertelsmann Music Group-RCA, Veuve Clicquot Inc., McDonalds Corporation, Rover, British Aerospace.

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Track listing
In this track listing, the words and phrases taught in the course are listed in English and Russian (transliterated and Cyrillic). The Cyrillic alphabet is given on pages 1718, along with an explanation of the transliteration system.

CD1 Track 1
Introduction to the course and how to use it

CD1 Track 2
Similarities between English and Russian words, e.g. brother sister I you (familiar) water two theatre sport bank president brat sestra ya ty voda dva teatr sport bank prezident

CD1 Track 3
this is a / the bank Bolshoy Theatre I am (a tourist) engineer eto bank Bolshoy teatr ya (toorist) inzhener ()

CD1 Track 4
is this a theatre? excuse me, Im sorry eto teatr? izvinite ?

yes good, well CD1 Track 5 very

da khorosho

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ochen

Soft consonants explained CD1 Track 6 no not this is not a theatre tea coffee problem CD1 Track 7 station metro here but CD1 Track 8 tradition registration conference information traditsiya registratsiya konferentsiya informatsiya vokzal metro zdes no net ne eto ne teatr chay kofe problema

Other examples where -tsiya (-) in Russian is -tion in English CD1 Track 9 you (polite) all, everything all, everybody vy vso vse

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CD1 Track 10 far restaurant bar CD1 Track 11 interesting, I wonder I wonder whether its far strange or and CD1 Track 12 what, that what is this? police CD1 Track 13 where telephone CD1 Track 14 I / one can / may, it is possible menu CD1 Track 15 please thank you (for) souvenir pozhalooysta spasibo (za) soovenir () mozhno menoo gde telefon chto chto eto? militsiya ? interesno interesno, eto daleko? stranno ili i , ? daleko restoran bar

CD1 Track 16 to buy CD1 Track 17 newspaper magazine icons ticket to smoke gazeta zhoornal ikony bilet koorit koopit

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How to make a word plural (more than one) CD1 Track 18 one shouldnt, its not possible, youre not allowed CD1 Track 19 to know I (dont) know bus taxi CD2 Track 1 to understand I (dont) understand to think I (dont) think (so) airport CD2 Track 2 to find out ooznat ponimat ya (ne) ponimayoo doomat ya (ne) doomayoo aeroport () () znat ya (ne) znayoo avtoboos taksi () nelza

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address CD2 Track 3 I (dont) want (it) CD2 Track 4 to eat Im hungry to drink Im thirsty CD2 Track 5 to do what to do / shall I do? caf CD2 Track 6 you (dont) know you dont happen to know ...? Asking politely CD2 Track 7 you understand CD2 Track 8 me do you understand me?

adres

ya (ne) khochoo

()

yest ya khochoo yest pit ya khochoo pit

delat chto delat? kafe

vy (ne) znayete vy ne znayete ...?

() ?

vy ponimayete

mena vy mena ponimayete?

you I (dont) understand you CD2 Track 9 how mum how are things? CD2 Track 10 by / with me by / with you normal, OK CD2 Track 11 what do you think? vodka CD2 Track 12 I have (got) plan idea temperature

vas ya vas (ne) ponimayoo

()

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kak mama kak dela?

oo mena oo vas normalno

kak vy doomayete? vodka

oo mena plan ideya temperatoora

Other examples where -tura (-) in Russian is -ture in English CD2 Track 13 allergy, hay fever doctor flu allergiya doktor gripp

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-iya (-) in Russian is often -y in English. Revision of I have. CD2 Track 14 you have oo vas

Revision of plural form (more than one) CD2 Track 15 computer kompyooter

More practice of you have CD2 Track 16 More practice of I have, and practice of chto () meaning that CD2 Track 17 to be what do I do? (lit. how to be?) byt kak byt? ?

The Russian alphabet


Russian letter Closest English equivalent A as in father, saga, about B as in bet, beat (sounds P at the end of a word). V as in van (can sound F at the end of a word). G as in go, get (can sound K at the end of a word; sounds V in -, - and certain other word endings). D as in dad, den (can sound T at the end of a word). YE as in yes, E as in met. Softens the preceding consonant (shown with apostrophe ). YO as in your, beyond. Softens the preceding consonant (shown with apostrophe ). Always stressed. ZH as in pleasure, vision (can sound SH at the end of a word). Z as in zero, rose (can sound S at the end of a word). EE as in feet, eel. Softens the preceding consonant. Y as in yet, toy, boy K as in rack, key L as in lamp, lead M as in milk, meat N as in nice, net Transliterated a b v g

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d ye, e

yo, o

zh z i y k l m n

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Russian letter

Closest English equivalent O as in port when stressed. When unstressed, as in again, doctor. P as in pour, please Scottish rolled r S as in sit, most T as in tuck, team OO as in boot, fool. The lips should be protruded. F as in fun, farm Scottish loch T+S as in sits, bits CH as in chair, chip SH as in ship, rush SHCH as in pushchair, fresh cheese hard sign: serves to keep the consonant it follows hard. Resembles I as in till, bit soft sign: used mainly to soften the preceding consonant (shown with apostrophe ). E as in get, bear, where U as in university, tune. Softens the preceding consonant (shown with apostrophe ). YA as in yummy, yard. Softens the preceding consonant (shown with apostrophe ).

Transliterated o p r s t oo f kh ts ch sh shch y

e yoo, oo

ya, a

Your guide to the Michel Thomas Method courses


No books No writing Just confidence Available in: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese,

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Study
Introductory course (2 CDs) First 2 hours of the Foundation course A taster of the Michel Thomas Method 14.99

Foundation course (8 CDs) 8-hour course for beginners Track listing 70.00

Advanced course (4 CDs) 5-hour follow-on to Foundation course Track listing 50.00

Further study
Vocabulary course (5 CDs) Learn 1,000 words painlessly in 6 hours Track listing 30.00 Learn another language the way you learnt your own

www.michelthomas.co.uk

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The Michel Thomas Method product range


Introductory course (2 CDs)* 14.99 Arabic ISBN: 978 0 340 95728 8 French ISBN: 978 0 340 78064 0 German ISBN: 978 0 340 78066 4 Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 78070 1 Mandarin ISBN: 978 0 340 95722 6 Russian ISBN: 978 0 340 94842 2 Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 78068 8 *These are the first 2 hours of the Foundation course. Foundation course (8 CDs) 70 Arabic ISBN: 978 0 340 95727 1 French ISBN: 978 0 340 93891 1 German ISBN: 978 0 340 93892 8 Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 93894 2 Mandarin ISBN: 978 0 340 95726 4 Russian ISBN: 978 0 340 94841 5 Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 93893 5 Advanced course (4 CDs) 50 Arabic ISBN: 978 0 340 95729 5 French ISBN: 978 0 340 93898 0 German ISBN: 978 0 340 93913 0 Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 93900 0 Mandarin ISBN: 978 0 340 95723 3 Russian ISBN: 978 0 340 94843 9 Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 93899 7 The Review courses have been devised to allow the student at home to check on their learning to find areas causing difficulty and revisit the relevant teaching point in the Foundation or Advanced course, or to review the course quickly if returning to it after some time.

Foundation Review course (2 CDs) 20 French ISBN: 978 0 340 92937 7 German ISBN: 978 0 340 93895 9 Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 93897 3 Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 93896 6 Advanced Review course (1 CD) 10 French ISBN: 978 0 340 93901 7 German ISBN: 978 0 340 93902 4 Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 93904 8 Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 93903 1 The Language Builders take the form of a one-to-one lecture with Michel Thomas, building on the words and phrases in the Foundation and Advanced courses. The courses provide confidence in pronunciation, increase your word-power and consolidate your knowledge in just two hours. Language Builders (2 CDs) 20 French ISBN: 978 0 340 78969 8 German ISBN: 978 0 340 78973 5 Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 78975 9 Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 78971 1 The Vocabulary courses carry forward the Michel Thomas Method teaching tradition and faithfully follow this unique approach to foreign language learning, with the all-audio and building-block approach. Vocabulary courses (5 CDs) 30 French ISBN: 978 0 340 93982 6 German ISBN: 978 0 340 93984 0 Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 93983 3 Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 93973 4

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The Michel Thomas Method Special Editions comprise: The Foundation course on CD The Language Builder CD Sample hours from 2 other languages A CD wallet to store the course in Michel Thomas biography The Test of Courage

Special Editions 99 French ISBN: 978 0 340 81402 4 Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 81403 1 Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 88289 4 These Michel Thomas Method products are available from all good bookshops and online booksellers. To find out more, please get in touch with us For general enquiries and for information about the Michel Thomas Method: Call: 020 7873 6345 Fax: 020 7873 6325 Email: michelthomas-enquiries@hodder.co.uk To place an order: Call: 01235 400414 Fax: 01235 400454 Email: uk.orders@bookpoint.co.uk www.michelthomas.co.uk You can write to us at: Hodder Arnold, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH Visit our forum at: www.michelthomas.co.uk

Download and learn a new language anywhere


Download the Michel Thomas language courses straight to your PC or Mac. Listen as you travel, while you drive, or any time your ears are free but your hands are busy. For more information, vist www.audible.co.uk/michelthomas


Have your say! Listener response form
1. What is your name? 2. Are you male or female? 3. What is your age? 4. What is your occupation? 5. What is your address (email and/or postal)? 6. How did you hear about the Michel Thomas Method? 7. Why are you learning a language? 8. Which language are you studying? 9. Which of the Michel Thomas Method courses have you done? 10. Where did you buy/borrow them from? 11. Have you tried another method before? If so, which product? 12. Whats the best thing about learning with the Michel Thomas Method? Please send this form to our FREEPOST address: Hodder Arnold Consumer Marketing, 338 Euston Road, FREEPOST NW6148, London NW1 3BH If you would like to be put on the Michel Thomas Method mailing list to be kept up to date with the latest offers and new products, please tick the box The Michel Thomas Method aims to offer a great learning experience. If you have any comments or suggestions please email us at mtenquiries@hodder.co.uk

Learn another language the way you learnt your own

Press reviews for the Michel Thomas Method language courses


The Times the nearest thing to painless learning The Daily Telegraph works like a dream Sunday Business ideal for any business traveller who needs to be able to get around confidently Time Out five minutes into the first CD, you already feel like youre winning Red Hugely inspiring Daily Star Michels methods will teach you effectively and easily The Daily Telegraph a great way to learn; its fast and it lasts

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